iraqis in 100 hours. >> now it looks like not only their air force, but their navy is being told to get out of the war. >> reporter: norman schwarzkopf was a west point graduate who spent his whole career in the army. he was a war hero in vietnam, where he earned three silver stars, three bronze stars and two purple hearts. he returned from the persian gulf a national hero. president george h.w. bush presented him the medal of freedom. president bush issued a statement calling norman schwarzkopf a true american patriot and one of the great military leaders of his generation. in retirement, schwarzkopf declined calls to run for office, devoting himself to public speaking and charity work. he leaves his wife and three children. norman schwarzkopf was 78. chuck sivertsen, abc news, new york. >> he was known for being opinionated and brave, the kind of guy you want on your side. >> there's no question, when you think about the first persian gulf war, that was the defining war for millions of americans because there had been a break, and then america went back to war. he became a househo